San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-03-31
NO. Is.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(Frcm Our Regular correspondent')
WASHINGTON, March IA, 1887.

(Frcm Our heguinr Cofresponuentj
WASHINGTON, March IA, 1887.
The question Of an extra session
of the Fiftieth Congress to begin in
October and run into the regular
session, is now topic Of speculation
here. Officers OF the Executive De-
partments hope such u calamity will
be averted, as the President is re-
ported ms saying that he would not
call Congress together unless 1T be-
came necessary, in order to avoid q
financial depression. Officers Of the
Departments have much happier
life when Congress is away, for with
it always comes o horde of Office
hunters which fingers as long as the
session lasts.
But the business of this great
country has grown too vast to be
carried on by the methods which
served we'll enough half century
ago. Not one-tenth OF the work that
Congress ought to do ever gets done
at all, and one of the chief reasons
for this is the waste Of time from
March to January, for although Con-
press meets on the first Monday in
December, it never gets down to
business before the holidays.
The cure for this is in the Presi-
dents hands. The Fiftieth Congress
began its official existence on the 4th
of this month and it's members are
now on pay. He has only to exer-
else his prerogative of converting
Congress and pointing out the work
which most needs its attention. II
he neglects to do this, he will be
largely responsible for the failure OF
necessary legislation.
The most important legislation ex-
pected of the Congress just ended
failed because Of the stupid organiza-
ton of the House. Speaker Car
Isle demonstrated an utter lack OF
Judgment and political leadership in
assigning Mr.. Randall to control
ling position which that gentleman
used to defeat his party's pledges.
It is stated that since the adjourn
ment of Congress, several prominent
democratic members have told Mr..
Carlisle that unless he promised to
keep Mr.. Randall off the Appropria-
tions Committee at the next session,
they would not support him (Csr-
lisle) for reelection to the Speaker
ship.
The hundreds Of Government CLERKS
who are suffering from the unsani-
tary condition Of the Treasury build
ing, place all Of the responsibility for
the failure of the bill to improve in
on Mr.. Randall's shoulders. His dis
position is to oppose all appropria-
tions that are not in his opinion nee
essary. When spoken to in regard
to the unhealthful air OF the Treas-
ury, he foolishly remarked that he
had visited that department on sew
eral occasions, and could not smell
any sewer gas.
The Democratic party promises to
be weakened in the next Congress
even beyond it's present condition.
The Fiftieth Congress will come in
with two-thirds of the Democrats
now men, and those who have stud
led its composition carefully since
the election agree that the personnel
is weak. A Democratic member who
was talking on the SUBJECT recently,
acknowledged that everything in the
last House went to the bad, as far as
the party was concerned, for want OF
leader, and he added that the next
House would te mere playtbing in
the hands of the Republicans on ac-
counts OF the new recruits on the
other side who are utterly without
experience or reputation. 1t requires
an apprenticeship of two years for a
man to learn the parliamentary rules
and working methods OF Congress,
and in the matter OF leadership the
Republicans stood in bold contrast
to the Democrats in the House which
has just closed its existence.